HNoMS Vale (1874-1946)

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[[Image:|300px]] The gunship HNoMS Vale.
Career
Ordered:
Laid down:
Launched:	14 April 1874
Commissioned:	1874
Fate:	Rebuilt as minelayer, decommissioned 1946
General characteristics
Displacement:	260 tons
Dimensions:	28 m long
Armament:	As built: 1 x 21 cm (10.5 inch) RML gun 1 x 1pdr (cm / inch) QF gun 1 x 1pdr (cm / inch) revolving gun After rebuild: 1 x 12 cm (4.72 inch) gun 3 x 37 mm (1.46 inch) guns 250 tons of mines
Propulsion:	220 hp ( Kw), 8.5 knop ( km/h, mph)
Crew:	41 (31 after rebuild)

The HNoMS Vale was a gunboat built for the Royal Norwegian Navy at Horten Naval Yard in 1874. She was one of a class of five gunboats - the other ships in the class was Brage, Nor, Uller and Vidar.

Vale was, in addition to the heavy, muzzleloading main gun, armed with a small 'Quick Fire' gun and an early automatic gun, similar to the Gatling gun.

Later Vale and her sisterships was rebuilt as minelayers, and she served in this role when the Germans invaded in 1940. During the Norwegian campaign she served mainly in Sognefjorden. She was captured by German forces after the surrender of Norwegian forces in Southern Norway, and returned to Norway after the war.

The vessel was built at the Naval Yard at Horten, and had the yard number 54.

[edit] References

• Naval history via Flix: KNM Vale, retrieved 14 Feb 2006
• Byggenummer ved Horten verft, retrieved 14 Feb 2006
• Ships of the Norwegian navy, retrieved 16 Feb 2006

Norwegian gunships

1. class:

Ellida, Sleipner, Viking and Frithjof

2. class:

Vale class: Vale, Brage, Nor, Uller and Vidar

Gor class: Gor and Tyr

Æger

Gunships of the Royal Norwegian Navy